The Maracana is one of the most iconic sporting arenas in the world. The original concrete stadium was built for the 1950 World Cup. The final was played there on 16th July, when an estimated 200,000 fans watched Uruguay rip up the script in beating Brazil 2-1 – an impossibly painful defeat for the host nation to take.

For the 2014 World Cup the original two-tier seating bowl has been demolished, replaced instead with a single tier. Where concrete once crumbled, a state-of-the-art Teflon-coated fibreglass roof covers the stands. It's a fitting venue for the 2014 final.

Watch a short video about the Maracana:

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The impressive Maracana complex has been constructed especially for the 2014 World Cup finals.